Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Big beer companies are pushing Florida craft beers out of Publix

If you've noticed less Florida-based beer options at your local Publix, you're not alone.

Big beer companies, like Anheuser-Busch InBev, are starting to push local craft beer companies off Publix shelves all over Florida. Instead, national craft beer brands bought out by the big guys are being stocked.

The Florida Brewers Guild, a nonprofit association aimed at preserving the rights of Florida brewers, is not happy with the fact that several Floridian breweries are having their merchandise replaced with bigger name brews and national crafts.

This comes in the wake of an ongoing lawsuit against Anheuser-Busch in North Carolina over a deal the company made with a distributor in Raleigh to favor their products over other companies'.

Some brands that have been completely cut by Publix are Gainesville's Swamp Head and Bradenton's Motorworks. Other Florida favorites, such as St. Petersburg's 3 Daughters, haven't gotten the boot yet, but have had their stock reduced from two beer options to only one, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Some Florida craft beer companies still hold real estate on Publix shelves, like Cigar City, Tampa Bay Brewing and Coppertail. But the big players and their affiliates are taking up more and more space. So it may only be a matter of time before these Floridian beers are nixed as well.
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